Artist Radar: At 19, Walden is a DJ to watch out for

At 19-years-old, Walden is not only a talented DJ, but very down to earth. He’s up for anything, evidenced by the fact that he tried dog sledding while on holiday in Sweden (“It was about -35, but it was fun”). Evan Ross chatted with him over the phone while he was in Chicago to get a sense of dance music’s bright young thing.

WHO HE IS: Let’s get the superficial stuff out of the way: Walden is adorable. His face, his demeanor, everything. He’s just an all around pleasant person, which should take him far. John Walden aka. Walden is an Australian producer/DJ who is just starting to gain speed on the EDM/house circuit. This is a big time for electronic music and Walden seems excited to be a part of it all: “House music has always appealed to me…it’s such a varied genre, that it allows you to put anything in it. It’s really fresh and new.”

WHY HE’S ON OUR RADAR: He’s young and talented, and it really doesn’t get any more exciting than that. Walden is only 19 and is already slated to play at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami. He says his age can be both beneficial and a hindrance; “a young age generates attention, which is good, but I do lack experience.” He also joked that, being 19, he can’t drink in most places. Hopefully he took advantage of the drinking age on his Canadian tour stops in Toronto and Montreal this January.

FILE NEXT TO: Walden is signed to the same label as some of the biggest names in dance music today. He knows how to let a track climb and give it an epic release a la Skrillex, and his songs have the earworm tendency of Martin Solveig, both of whom are fellow Big Beat Records signings.

HIGHLIGHTS: He was recently signed to Big Beat Records, home to some of the top dance artists like Chromeo and Icona Pop (as well as massive hits Skrillex and Martin Solveig, mentioned above). He’s worked with acts like Tiesto and David Guetta which has helped to build his sound. He says “I’ve learned how to read crowd reactions and give a track build up to keep them moving.” His music is awesome, Brightness being a particular favourite. It’s a great track and you can tell it’s going to be massive in clubs (also be sure to check out his YouTube and Soundcloud pages to hear the rest of his work)

“Brightness” by Walden

Evan Ross enjoys TV, music, and social media probably more than is heathy. She can usually be found on Twitter (@7thEvan) and Tumblr (Bright Young Thing) laughing at bad puns and drooling over pictures of Harry Styles.